Well I had to abbreviate the title because this Masters of the Universe Classics figure has the longest name to date: Temple of Darkness Sorceress. This also marks the first time I've actually gotten to review a figure before it was released on Mattycollector.com. Though still not before it was first available however.

Temple of Darkness Sorceress is this year's (actually this is the first time they've done it, but they've already revealed one for next year) Traveling Convention Exclusive Figure. What this means is, unlike most con exclusives that are for only one convention, this figure is/was available at multiple conventions throughout the year. She was offered at Grayskullcon in Germany, Powercon, and the New York Comic Con. Like the SDCC exclusives she will be offered on the website later on. (A huge thanks goes out to He-Man.org member Ed Gruszecki who picked this figure up for me in New York)

Now what is the deal with her long name? Well this variant of Sorceress is based off her look in several of the vintage comic books, including "The Temple of Darkness" where, instead of her classic blue and orange outfit, she was dressed in solid white. As a result this figure is little more than a repaint, but that's the idea of an exclusive. Something extra that fans won't feel too left out on if they can't get it.

TOD Sorceress comes on the standard MOTUC blister card package. Like the regular release Sorceress there's a blurb on the side of the bubble about her wing opening feature. The back of the box shows off other figures in the line and gives a bio for the character that differs from the first Sorceress bio. This one actually tells more about the origins of the Sorceress lineage rather than Teela'na herself. There's a few discrepancies and errors. It says the orb is in the abyss rather than in the castle itself (though the orb chamber in 200X is shown to be in lower levels so maybe they actually went into below abyss levels) but also it says "with the Trolla". It should be "with Trolla" or "with the Trollans". (Actually it should be neither as this is a stupid plot idea) When did Teela'na become Sorceress because it was previously implied to be before the Great Unrest, but now it says the end. And why is it "Grayskull's widow" has yet to be mentioned by her actual name in the bios? Veena was named in the new mini-comic but the bios do not give her name so I'm confused if there's some kind of trademark issue or not.

The biggest issue though is there is absolutely no mention of the Temple of Darkness at all. As I said earlier, Sorceress wore this outfit in several comics. As a matter of fact, the artwork used in the bio's picture shield is actually from the mini-comic "The Obelisk" not "Temple of Darkness"!

Now if you've seen my review of the regular Sorceress (and/or have her yourself) then you pretty much know what you're getting here. TOD Sorceress is a direct repaint of the same sculpt. Her outfit is painted all white, though there is a bit of shading to give it a bit of depth. The eyes of the falcon headdress are painted a strange purple color which is a bit haunting but also give a feeling of magic.

Her wings are the same sculpt, which of course does mean she still has the large wing drums and the limits to her articulation and poses due to how they rise with her arms. This time they are made of a clear translucent plastic giving them an almost crystal like quality to them. It's a cool look that gives an impression of Sorceress being more powerful magically. Or possibly being able to use them offensively. It also kind of brings to mind the crystal like outfit of Sorceress in the live action movie. (though to be honest I was never a fan of that look)

The only difference sculpt wise is that this variant uses the Teela boots instead of the Sorceress sculpt. This is to make her match up with the mini-comic look. TOD Sorceress comes with the same staff as the first version, and since it was already pearly white there was no reason to change it and they didn't. She does not come with a Zoar, though there is a white Zoar in the third Weapons Pack to make up for this.

Instead she comes with a brand new accessory that is sure to be a big draw for fans to get this figure. Included is a stand to hold the Crystal Orb of power that came with the second version of King Grayskull. The orb was a great addition to the line, but with no stand there was nothing to keep it from simply rolling off your shelf. Problem solved. The stand has crystal shards surrounding it made of a translucent blue plastic much like the orb itself, which fades into a granite like stone color. There are Eternian symbols on every side which seem to reflect on the Power's origins. All four sides have the skull like design seen on He-Ro's cape, the asterisk like symbol of King Grayskull, and a third symbol that I guess is supposed to be of the Sorceress as it kind of resembles a falcon, though it actually looks more like the Star Wars Rebel Alliance emblem. Those three are the same on all four sides, but each side also has lettering in an alien language that is different on each side. Mattel has stated that an actual Eternian language was created, so these symbols actually do say something. No translation has been revealed as of yet, for all we know it may simply say, "This side up".

Take note, the orb itself is not included with TOD Sorceress, just the stand. You need to get King Grayskull to get the orb and then TOD Sorceress to have the stand. At the time of this posting you can get King Grayskull with the orb on Mattycollector.com. I would strongly suggest grabbing him now as once he's gone he won't be going back into production.

As for TOD Sorceress. She is a beautiful variant of one of my favorite characters. If you missed out on Sorceress before this gives you a chance to pick her up, but even if you didn't the orb stand makes it a highly recommended item. My only real complaint lies in the bio. More specifically the missed opportunity to fix a HUGE mistake and get back in good graces with angry fans. Of course, I'm referring to the fact that they killed off Sorceress in the new continuity and could have used this bio to bring her back. This was not a initially planned figure so it's not like they already had the bio written (and even if they did that's what the backspace button is for!) so they really should have fixed what they have to know was a a bad move that angered fans. I mean, look at her outfit. The story practically writes itself.

You can check the secondary market for Temple of Darkness Sorceress right now, or wait. She will be available on Mattycollector.com in December, though in very limited quantity so she's likely to go very fast. Good Luck and until next time, Good Journey.

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